


For Good

by hopingforaword



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, I'm really liking this retrospective thing i've been doing, Valentine's Day Gift, a lot of this is related to my real life and my best friend's real life lol, idk its cool to not do like a "story" story and do more like a look at characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-11 21:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13532925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopingforaword/pseuds/hopingforaword
Summary: James Potter and Sirius Black became best friends by accident. By October of their first year at Hogwarts they were of course friends in the way that all eleven year old boys who have to live together are friends, but they didn’t interact all that much.





	For Good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emma/gifts).



> This is for [Potterverse Net's](http://potterversenet.tumblr.com) [Valentine's Day event](http://potterversenet.tumblr.com/tagged/pvn-valentine-%2718%22>Valentine). It's dedicated to my best friend, Emma. She is the Padfoot to my Prongs or the Prongs to my Padfoot, depending on the day.

James Potter and Sirius Black became best friends by accident. By October of their first year at Hogwarts they were of course friends in the way that all eleven year old boys who have to live together are friends, but they didn’t interact all that much. James was clearly a beloved only child, strutting around Hogwarts like he owned the place and flirting with the third year girls, whereas Sirius bore all the marks of being not particularly liked by his parents, sulking a bit and causing mayhem. James would admit that he liked to cause a fair bit of mayhem too, and Sirius did have the same kind of confidence James had, but they weren’t best friends. Not yet.

James was walking to the Quidditch pitch one day, looking to get in some flying before he had to sit in the stands. He was a reserve Chaser, so he had to be at practice, even though he wouldn’t play unless one of his teammates was injured. Suddenly, Sirius came flying down the hall. “Sirius, what’s up?”

“Dude, you gotta get out of my way or hide me. I’ll explain later.”

James spotted a broom closet to his left and cast a quick Alohomora, opening the door and pushing Sirius inside. James leaned against the outside of the door, playing with the broom in his hand as an angry professor ran by grumbling, “I’ll get that Black if it’s the last thing I do.” When the professor had safely passed, James opened the door and smiled at Sirius.

“What did you do?”

Sirius dusted himself off and closed the closet door behind him. He grinned at James before he said, “I released a Crup into a classroom where they were studying pixies. You should’ve seen the panic.”

“Where’d you get a Crup?” James asked, eyes widening.

“Ah, a good prankster never reveals his secrets.” Sirius smiled. “Don’t you have to get to Quidditch practice, golden boy?”

James started. “Oh, shit. Catch you later, Sirius.” He ran off to practice, still wondering how a first-year had managed to get a Crup on school grounds, let alone release it into a classroom.

 

James came back from a boring Quidditch practice for dinner and sat down across from Sirius. “How’d you do it?”

Sirius laughed, not looking up from his plate. “I’m not telling you.”

“Why not?” James huffed.

“Because,” Sirius said slowly, “the best things are the ones you figure out for yourself. Besides, now that I’ve done it, it’d be pretty unoriginal if you snuck one in. Make me and you look bad.”

“How d’you figure?”

Sirius pointed at James with his fork. “You look like a copycat.” He pointed at himself. “And I look like I pull easy pranks. And trust me, it wasn’t easy. Come up with something of your own James.”

James smiled deviously. “Maybe I’m just drawing inspiration. Thinking about how to wreak havoc with different animals.”

Sirius shook his head. “I’m sure you could come up with something better all on your own.”

“You think?” James asked, eyebrows lifting.

Sirius shrugged. “I guess we’ll see.”

 

Sirius walked into the dorm room and collapsed on his bed. James came in a second after. “It wasn’t that bad, Sirius.”

Sirius laughed into a pillow. “It was bad. Whatever, get out.”

“No chance. We have to get to History of Magic.” James sat on the edge of Sirius’s bed. “Everyone in Gryffindor is glad you’re here. Being in Slytherin would suck.”

“My whole family’s in Slytherin.”

“I got that sense from your mum’s Howler.”

“I’m glad I’m not, I just wish my bloody cousin hadn’t written to mum telling her I’m a Gryffindor.” He sat up, smirking at James. “I wanted to see the look on her face when I told her myself.” He stood up. “We should go, or we’ll be late.” James shook his head and followed Sirius out the door.

 

“I’m never getting rid of you, am I?” Sirius said as they sat down for breakfast a month later.

“Do you not want me around?” Sirius looked up at James and was shocked to see the usually loud and confident boy looking scared and crestfallen. “I can leave you alone, if you want.”

Sirius smiled at James. “But then how would you find out how I got the Crup in?” James smiled back. “I have a feeling you have some devious ideas.”

James grinned. “It’s funny you should mention that…” The mail owls came in, dropping letters and packages onto the breakfast tables below. A small set of explosions began at the Slytherin table, followed by an identical set at the Hufflepuff table. Students at both tables shrieked and dove under their tables, while the Ravenclaws and Gryffindors roared with laughter.

“Why Hufflepuff?” Sirius said through his laughter.

“If it was just Slytherin, everyone would suspect Gryffindors immediately. I’d be caught in minutes. Bombing Hufflepuff could be anyone.” James smirked. “They don’t hurt though. It’s just the sound and the light.”

“Nice one, James.”

“You really think so?”

Shaking his head at the boy’s need for validation, Sirius said, “Yeah. You have good potential.”

James rolled his eyes and dove into the plate of strawberries in front of him.

 

The rest of their first year passed in the same way as the first few months, each boy trying to show up the other with increasingly elaborate pranks until a swarm of bees and wasps released on a hippogriff made them realize they’d be better off working together. At the beginning of the summer, each was sad to see the other go. Never had they found someone who understood them so well.

Over vacation they constantly owled each other, James sending Sirius sweets from southern France, where his family was vacationing, and Sirius sending James clippings from the Prophet and stories about home. For the first time in their lives, both boys were thrilled to go back to school.

 

When they returned to the Hogwarts Express on September 1, Sirius and James caught sight of each other on the platform and ran to meet each other. Sirius pulled James into a tight hug, and James clapped him on the back.

“It’s good to see you, mate,” Sirius said, releasing James. “Let’s get on the train. I don’t want to deal with my mum and Regulus.” Sirius pulled his trunk on to the train and James followed.

“Is your family really that bad?” James asked, opening a compartment and hoisting his trunk on to the rack. 

“Yeah, they are,” Sirius said as he flopped gracefully onto the bench. “You heard the Howler last year. My mum’s like that more often than not, especially with me. Reg’s her little puppy. Maybe he’ll be sorted into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but I really doubt it.” He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me either way.”

Before James could reply, the door of the compartment opened, revealing two other Gryffindor second years, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. “Can we sit here?” Remus asked. “Almost everywhere else is full.

James looked at Sirius, who shrugged. James nodded at Remus, and Remus and Peter shuffled into the compartment, Remus putting his trunk and then Peter’s into the overhead racks. They sat down, Remus next to Sirius and Peter next to James. Remus and Peter were both naturally quiet, but while Peter seemed nervous and jittery, Remus seemed very relaxed. He was taller than James or Sirius, and much thinner than both of them. Peter’s legs barely reached the floor. 

“How were your summers?”

“Bad,” Sirius said, turning his back to the window, feet up on the bench, and watching Remus.

“Pretty good. I went to France with my parents.”

“Oh, fun!  _ Parlez-vous français _ ?”

Sirius smiled at Remus’s sudden French. “ _ Je parle français mais James est inculte _ .” James bristled at the use of his name in a language Sirius knew he didn’t speak. 

Remus laughed, and James’s attention snapped back to him. There wasn’t anything that stood out about Remus, except a few scars across his face. “I’m sure James is cultured just fine,” he said. 

“Thanks, Remus. I’d like to proactively apologize for Sirius’s behavior.” Remus laughed again, and James softened his position on the boy. He seemed perfectly alright. 

“You guys are alright. I don’t know why Lily said you’re a pair of arrogant toerags.”

James’s eyes opened wide and Sirius groaned. “Now you’ve done it, Remus.”

Remus looked from one to the other. “Done what?”

“James has a teeny, tiny, massive crush on Lily Evans and refuses to admit that he’s got no chance.”

James rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Sirius. Who knows what could’ve changed over the summer?”

“You mean you’ve finally grown a pair and you’re going to do something about it?”

“I did plenty last year!”

“Saying, ‘Hi Lily!’ whenever she walks past is not doing something about it.” Peter laughed and Sirius’s gaze snapped to him. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

“Uh no,” Peter said, shaking slightly, “Sorry.”

Sirius rolled his eyes and winked at Remus. James felt the knot in his stomach tighten, but smiled and said, “What Quidditch team do you root for, Remus?”

 

Remus and Peter slowly became regular additions to James and Sirius’s routine. The four of them ate together, sat together, planned pranks together, and studied together, or rather Remus and Peter studied while James and Sirius tried to break their concentration by asking inane questions or throwing bits of paper. In the end, Peter’s grades were unrescuable and Remus outperformed James and Sirius by three points, so it was mostly moot. 

James had tried to get over his fear of Remus, and mostly had. Sometimes he still worried that Sirius would tell him he wanted to be friends with Remus and not James. 

Sirius had noticed James’s worrying and tried to do small things to reassure him, like sitting next to James and sharing ideas with James first. They were all friends, but Sirius and James were best friends. 

 

Second year came and went, and third year began before they knew it. One night James was reading after Remus and Peter had gone to sleep. Sirius came in, toweling his hair dry. “Can I tell you something James?”

James put down his book and squinted at Sirius. James tended to read with his glasses off, since he was nearsighted and often fell asleep reading, so Sirius was a blur. “Of course.”

“You can’t tell anyone else.” Sirius said, pulling on pajama pants and sitting on James’s bed. 

“Who am I going to tell?” Sirius pointed at their sleeping friends and James raised an eyebrow. “It’s that big of a secret?” 

Sirius nodded and took a deep breath. “I reckon… I think I like guys the same way I like girls.”

James looked at him. “So?”

“You’re not— it doesn’t bother you?”

James shrugged. “Why should it?” Be punched Sirius in the shoulder. “One way we can’t compete though.” 

Sirius smiled. “You’re sure it doesn’t bother you?”

“Just because you’ll be looking at boys with your big dark eyes? I don’t care, Sirius. You’re still my best mate.” 

Sirius hugged James abruptly, and James pat his back. “Thanks mate,” Sirius whispered. He climbed into his own bed, and James turned the lights out. 

James really didn’t care either way that Sirius liked guys. He spent two weeks paying more attention to the boys in his classes than the girls, trying to see if maybe he was the same way before giving up. So he and Sirius were a little different, and that was a good thing. If they were exactly the same, what would be the fun in being friends? James caught Sirius looking at him worriedly, and he would always smile back. He and Sirius would be best mates forever, he was sure of it. 

Sirius had never met anyone like himself. Of course there were men who liked men and women who liked women, but he had never heard of men liking men and women. It made sense to him, but he still felt alone. James’s simple acceptance of Sirius as he was made Sirius feel better than anything else could have. 

A week later, Sirius bounded into the dorm during a free period. Remus and Peter were in Care of Magical Creatures, but James and Sirius had chosen not to take it, so Sirius jumped onto James’s bed. “Guess what Jamie?”

James threw the Daily Prophet onto the floor. “What Sirius?”

Sirius leaned in and whispered in James’s ear, “I just kissed a boy.” He flopped down onto the bed, smiling at the ceiling. 

“Who?”

“Thomas Sedgwick.”

James gaped. “He likes blokes?”

“Clearly.”

“He’s so built.”

Sirius laughed. “C’mon Jamie, not every bent bloke is going to be delicately handsome like me.” James laughed and Sirius smiled at him. “It really doesn’t bother you?”

“Nah,” James said, “You’re still the same crazy Sirius. So what’s it like?”

“Kissing blokes?”

James shook his head. “Just kissing.”

“I don’t know. Warm. Fun.” Sirius smiled. “I guess you’ll have to see for yourself.”

James threw a pillow at him. “Don’t be such a prat.”

Sirius threw the pillow back. “You wanna fight?”

James smiled and threw himself at Sirius, grappling and trying to throw the other boy off his bed, as they had so many times before. 

 

“That’s a detention, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black. Not that they seem to be changing your behavior at all. At the very least my classroom will have clean desks. Good day.” Sirius and James left Professor McGonagall’s classroom and joined Peter and Remus outside, all four making their way down to dinner a week before winter holidays in their fourth year.

“Another detention?” Peter squeaked.

“You know what that means?” Remus said. Sirius and James looked at each other, clearly confused. “That’s your twenty-fifth detention this year, the fourth year in a row. It’s your one hundredth detention!”

Sirius and James roared with laughter. “We have to celebrate!” James shouted

“One hundred detentions? That’s got to be some kind of record!” Sirius responded, raising James’s hand with his own. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the new record holders for most detentions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, James Potter and Sirius Black!” Peter imitated a crowd cheering and Remus laughed, walking into the Great Hall.

“What do you guys have planned to celebrate?”

Sirius and James looked at each other and said in unison, “A party.”

 

That night, Sirius and James ran to Gryffindor tower and threw open the portrait hole to find a party in full swing. A banner Remus had made hung above the fireplace and read, “Congratulations on one hundred detentions, James and Sirius.” They were greeted with a wall of sound and immediately hoisted into two levitating chairs. Peter cast a sonorous and asked, “How are you feeling in the wake of your hundredth detention?”

Sirius laughed. “It’s been a real thrill to get this far.”

“Any favorite pranks?”

“Yeah,” James said, clearly reveling in the attention, “I was really proud of the balloon snow.”

“Hopes for the future?”

“We’re going to keep going and we hope you keep laughing,” Sirius said, smiling at the people looked up at him. 

James slung an arm around Sirius. “We hope to get to two hundred, so don’t count us out yet. Goodnight Gryffindor tower!” They jumped down off the chairs to whoops and applause. 

Remus looked at them, shaking his head. “You two are a whole special kind of crazy.”

“We know,” they said in unison. 

 

On the Hogwarts Express the next year, while Remus was doing his first set of prefect duties and Peter was trying to find the witch who sold snacks on the train, Sirius whispered to James, “You have to help me, Prongs.”

“What?”

Sirius looked out into the hall, then said, “I like Remus. A lot. I’m ass over teakettle for him, okay? And I have no idea if it’s reciprocated or not. Like sometimes I think he likes me but it might just be wishful thinking, you know? And–”

“Sirius, slow down mate,” James laughed, “You need to relax. You haven’t seen Moony all summer.”

“You haven’t seen Evans all summer,” Sirius said defensively, crossing his arms and looking out the window.

“I was just going to say that you’re probably a little overloaded with excitement at seeing him now. Right?” Sirius tilted his head and nodded. “So take a few minutes and gather yourself, and then we’ll talk about it.” They sat in silence as Sirius closed his eyes and leaned his head against the glass.

“He’s so pretty,” Sirius whispered, “And perfect in all the ways I’m fucked up.”

“Do you know if he likes blokes?” 

Sirius shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. What do I do, James?”

James ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “Mate, I really don’t know. I would say spend some time with him, alone, and see if you still like him and maybe if he seems like he likes you and then ask him to Hogsmeade or something?”

“How’m I going to get him alone?”

“I’ll drag Peter off on some girl-seeking quest. Melin knows he’s desperate.” They both laughed, and Sirius smiled at James, before frowning at the ground.

“What if he doesn’t like me?”

“Not everyone’s going to like you, Sirius. As impossible as it may seem, there are some people that are impervious to our charms.”

Sirius’s voice was so faint James had to strain to hear him, “What if he’s grossed out by me? By blokes who like other blokes? What if he hurts me?”

“I’ll fight him,” James said, jaw clenched, “I’ll fight anyone who hurts you. But I doubt Remus will. Even if he doesn’t like you, Moony has always been an accepting, caring kind of guy. He’ll like you even if he doesn’t like like you.”

“Like like?” Sirius said with a short laugh, “Are you twelve years old?”

“Hey, you’re the one trying to find out who your crush likes through a friend!”

“This is more sophisticated than a simple crush, and this is no worse than you asking  _ every single one  _ of Evans’s friends what her favorite color is.”

“I needed to know!”

 

“Your parents are really great, James.” Sirius threw his bag down on the floor and dropped himself onto what was now his bed. They were due back at Hogwarts for sixth year in two weeks. “Fuck. Fuck.”

“Yeah. They’re pretty great.” James sat on his bed, facing Sirius. “What happened?”

“She finally had enough,” Sirius said with a shrug, “Who knows. Fuck!”

James sat silently, watching his best friend. “I’m sorry mate. I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry.” 

Sirius sat up and looked at James. “Thanks. It does help, in a weird way. So, thanks.”

 

“I need your help with Evans.”

“I don’t know anything about girls, James,” Sirius said, gesturing at Remus, whose lap was serving as Sirius’s pillow. Remus was playing with Sirius’s hair as he read, and Peter was sitting on the floor in front of the fire doing homework. “Well, I know the theory. But not the practical.”

“I meant asking her out. You’ve done that,” James said, “Or else I’m really wrong about what’s happening with you and Remus.”

Remus laughed and Sirius said, “Yes, I have asked someone out. But why all of a sudden, Jamie?” 

“No time like the present!”

“Why don’t you just go for it?”

James blinked. “No plan? No spectacle? Just go in?”

Sirius shrugged. “Gryffindor bravery. Just go for it man.”

“Plus, she’s made it pretty obvious she hates your show boat side,” Remus said. 

“You’re smart, James, and pretty good-looking. Just go for it. If she says no, whatever move on. If she says yes, she says yes.”

 

“I can’t believe we’re graduating,” James said, trying to tie his bow tie in the mirror of the dorm room bathroom. Sirius laughed and tied it for James. “You know when we first met him I was crazy jealous of Remus?”

Sirius laughed, and stepped back from James, smiling at him. “James, I love Remus, but you’re my brother. There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side.”

James smirked. “I know that now, just at the time I was worried he was going to steal you, you know? Before I knew that you liked him in a different way than you like me. I thought I was going to have to find a new best friend.” He laughed and stage-whispered, “I was going to have to be best friends with Peter.”

Sirius cracked up and the boys stood there laughing. “Well, we should probably get down to the lake.” James nodded, and followed Sirius out of the bathroom through their dorm, taking a good look as they left Gryffindor tower for the last time. They went through the portrait hall, looking around the hallways as they went. This castle, no matter how large and sometimes scary, had been their home for seven years. Saying goodbye felt unimaginable.

They reached the lake and lined up with the other seventh years. Right before Sirius left to stand in the front, James squeezed his hand. Sirius squeezed back, then took his place third from the front.

 

After the ceremony was over, James met his friends under their favorite planning tree. Lily arrived seconds after he did, wrapping her arms around him. “I can’t believe we’re graduated.”

“I can’t believe these two are graduated,” Remus said, pointing at James and Sirius, whose arms were tight around him, “Talk about unprepared for the real world.”

James scoffed, “Don’t sell me so short, Moony. I’ve got skills.”

“Yeah, like what? Dicking around with Sirius?”

“Pretty sure that’s your job.”

Sirius and Lily roared with laughter, and Remus smiled at James. “I suppose you’re right, James.”

Lily stopped laughing and looked seriously at the boys. “You have to stay friends,” she said, “You have to put in the work. I’ll make you come over, because I know three of you will stop writing letters or calling or whatever because you’re too lazy and then you’ll get all sad because you’ll miss each other. And then I have to deal with mopey James. So you have to stay friends, for my sake.”

“We have to take a picture of all of us!” Peter decided. He set up his camera to go off on its own, and everyone moved in front of it. Remus, Sirius, James, Lily and Peter stood there smiling as Peter’s camera went off. 

It was a beautiful picture of five friends, of five recent graduates, of two happy couples, of a group of teenagers on their last guaranteed day together. It was a picture of a lot of things, but most of all it was a picture of two best friends.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed it!  
> My Potterverse Net content is [here](http://potterversenet.tumblr.com/tagged/mc%3A-adamarie). My Harry Potter tumblr is [here](http://hermionejeangranger.tumblr.com). My regular tumblr is [here](http://hopingforaword.tumblr.com). Thanks for reading!!


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